Daredevil's return in She-Hulk certainly excited fans, but there were some who worried about what a more comedic take on the character might look like. The MCU has always leaned into humor which has set it apart from other superhero adventures, but there are times when the jokes can seem quite forced.
Fans can undoubtedly think of a number of laugh-out-loud moments from every MCU project, but there have also been a few moments that illicit cringes rather than chuckles. These obvious, overly long, and unimaginative MCU jokes just tried too hard to be funny.
Persistent Flight Attendant - Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
As one of the most exciting new MCU heroes in Phase 4, fans were very excited to explore the origins of Shang-Chi. Once his martial arts skills are revealed, Shang-Chi goes into his backstory which is thrilling and compelling only to suddenly be interrupted.
The flashback sequence breaks away as an overly friendly flight attendant interrupts the story to offer the heroes an in-flight meal. While the fact that it is an annoying interruption is the point of the joke, the fact that it isn't very funny just makes it actually frustrating.
Strange Roasts The Illuminati - Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
The MCU has had a lot of success with fun quippy heroes like Tony Stark and Peter Quill. But the approach was so successful that they started applying it to characters that it didn't work for, including Doctor Strange.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Strange meets the eclectic members of the Illuminati. But as a way to show he is unimpressed, he throws out some lame insults like suggesting the Fantastic Four sounds like a pop group and making a crack about Black Bolt's bad breath.
The Big Three - The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (2021)
With them teaming up in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky and Sam proved their MCU friendship was one of the best. But the show often tried too hard to make their pairing a buddy-cop dynamic with banter that never felt natural.
One early example of this is when Sam suggests the idea of the "Big Three" as in aliens, robots and wizards. Their back and forth about this idea feels like someone overthinking this type of dialogue resulting in something that doesn't feel like two real people talking.
Klaue's Fear Of Cuttlefish - Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
Even the villains in the MCU can have some funny moments. However, adding humor to these types of characters can often be hit-or-miss. Ulysses Klaue was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron as an arms dealer who has a run-in with Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.
When Wanda suggests even a man like Klaue is afraid of something, he goes on a tangent about cuttlefish being scary. It stops the scene in its tracks as it feels like a very obvious attempt to make a quirky villain.
Korg Thinks Asgard Can Be Rebuilt - Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
With only a few appearances, Korg has become one of the funniest MCU characters. However, there are also times when he can feel overused and his jokes feel unnecessary. This is especially true of serious moments.
The destruction of Asgard should be one of the most powerful and impactful moments in the MCU. But as the Asgardians look on, Korg begins talking about how the damage is not so bad and how it can be rebuilt, only for it to be demolished completely. It is a gag the audience sees coming a mile away and takes away from an important moment.
Doc Ock Reveals His Real Name - Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Though there is certainly a lot of respect paid to the comics, the MCU has never been afraid to poke fun at some of the sillier aspects of the universe. This can be a great way of establishing a light mood, but it can also seem like it takes away from the magic of these stories when it is done too much.
The return of Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home was a thrill but the character gets undercut in a moment when he reveals his real name of Otto Octavius only for Peter and his friends to burst out laughing. It is a reminder that the Sam Raimi movies worked so well partially because they embraced the weirdness of the comics.
Kraglin's Hat Ideas - Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Though he has been in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise from the beginning, Kraglin often seemed like an unnecessary character who was forced into the narrative. Rare moments in which he is meant to stand out have often fallen flat.
After getting a reward from the Ravengers, Kraglin asks Nebula how she'll spend the money. Nebula gives an intense monologue about hunting down and killing her father only for Kraglin to suggest she buy a pretty hat. It feels so much like a joke for the sake of a joke, not feeling at all natural to the scene.
Calling Wong Beyoncé - Doctor Strange (2016)
With Wong showing up everywhere in the MCU, he has become one of the surprising fan-favorites among fans. It is especially surprising given his rather awkward introduction in the first Doctor Strange movie.
After introducing himself, Strange makes a rather overused joke comparing Wong to one-named celebrities like Adele. While the joke could be dismissed as purposefully awkward, the fact that they double-down with Strange referring to Wong as Beyonce just a couple of scenes later really makes it groan-worthy.
Steve Hates Profanity - Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
One of the criticisms of the humor in the MCU is that jokes can be made even if they go against the character fans know and love. This especially riled up some fans with a running gag in Avengers: Age of Ultron suggesting Steve Rogers didn't stand for cursing.
Captain America has had many life-changing events, including fighting in a war. While he is noble, the idea that he gets bent out of shape by a swear word is a pretty lame excuse for the joke. And a bad joke that is repeated over and over just becomes irritating.
Taserface – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
James Gunn has done a great job of taking some of the most obscure Marvel characters ever and making them iconic. However, he might have gotten carried away with himself by including a little-known villain as a one-joke character.
Taserface is introduced as a Ravenger member who challenges Yondu. But when he takes control of the group, he is mercilessly mocked by Rocket for such a lame name. An entire scene is built around this joke and when it isn't funny the first time, it certainly isn't funny the next dozen times.